


Perfect Harmony

by domokunrainbowkinz



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, I'm so tired, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, POV Alternating, Slow Burn, composer au, it was supposed to be short but it spiralled out of control, musician au, there's really not much angst lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 06:03:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10507767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/domokunrainbowkinz/pseuds/domokunrainbowkinz
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki had always admired the living legend of figure skating, Victor Nikiforov, and dreams of composing a piece for him. One day, a particular piece catches the figure skater's attention, and Yuuri finally fulfills his dream when he gets commissioned. But as they exchange more emails, their feelings for each other start to grow....Based off thisask





	

He watches as the stadium goes silent, the skater taking his stance in the middle of the rink. The first note rings out and with it the skater glides backwards, gracefully moving with the music. His silver hair whipped behind him, caressing his face as he spun. In his black costume, adorned with gems on the side, he looked ethereal, otherworldly.

Yuuri couldn’t look away from the TV, barely registering his friend, Yuuko, cheering excitedly next to him, gasping each time the skater launched himself into a jump. He made it look so easy; entering and exiting each jump with grace and poise, a small smile each time he landed. The way he skated, the way he moved with the music…it was like he was a part of the thundering trumpets, the piercing violins. He finished his routine with a layback spin, his eyes closed, a serene expression on his face. As the crowd cheered and he bowed, the banner with his name appeared across the bottom of the TV screen.

_RUS, Victor Nikiforov._

“That was Russia’s Victor Nikiforov! Wasn’t he cool, Yuuri?” Yuuko asked excitedly as they watched Victor collect the various gifts tossed onto the ice for him by adoring fans. Yuuri can only nod, his breath still taken away by the beauty he just witnessed on screen.

“He won the gold in the Junior Worlds with the highest score in history!” she exclaimed, twirling happily. He’d heard about Victor from Yuuko many times already, from her constant gushing about his cute dog, his broken records, the way he’s already making a name for himself in the figure skating world at the young age of sixteen. But this was Yuuri’s first time seeing Victor skate and it was burned into his mind, like the piano pieces he’s practiced over and over again.

As Yuuko chattered on about the difficulty of Victor’s jumps, Yuuri hoped that one day, when he’s good enough, he could write a song for Victor to skate to.

* * *

Yuuri stared at the blank music sheet in front of him, his fingers musing over the black and white keys of the piano as he tried to come up with a new melody. Something melancholic? No, it didn’t fit him at all. He would probably skate to something lively and happy.

A few years ago, when Yuuko was still skating competitively, she introduced him to a friend of hers from Thailand, a cheerful boy named Phichit Chulanont. He and Yuuri became best friends immediately, constantly messaging and calling each other, Yuuri following his career as closely as he followed Victor’s. This year, at the age of seventeen, he’s making is senior debut at the Grand Prix series, and wanted Yuuri to compose a piece for his short program.

Yuuri had done this a few times before. When Yuuko was still competing, she asked him to compose some of her pieces as well. Before he was experienced, he would come up with a simple melody, then have his music teacher, Minako, polish it into the final product. Over the years, from composing for Yuuko and other skaters who had approached him, he could feel himself improving with each piece he made.

But would he ever be good enough to compose a piece for Victor?

Yuuri was racked his brains for some inspiration, a trace of a note, that could get him started on this piece. Deep inside, he knew it was because he was nervous, since it was very likely Victor would hear this piece, now that Phichit and Victor are both in the senior division. He wanted this to be good, the best piece he’s produced so far.

Turning these thoughts over in his head, he sighed and walked away from the piano, flopping down on one of the nearby couches. It seems like these days, he spends more time in the practice rooms than socializing with his peers. College was supposed to be the best years of his life, right? He should be making friends and laughing over drinks, not spending his free time composing and practicing by himself in a room.

Moving away from Hasetsu was hard, but he settled into Detroit pretty well. The practice rooms at the conservatory provided a safe haven for him whenever he’s feeling stressed or overwhelmed by his academics, and he’s made a couple of friends, although it was hard at first.

He still kept in touch with his friends and family in Japan, especially Yuuko. Over the years, they both carefully followed Victor’s career. During competitions, Phichit would always send Yuuri pictures and selfies of himself, as well as videos of the other skaters. Knowing how much Yuuri loved Victor’s skating, he never failed to send him videos of the Russian skater.

“Maybe one day you can come with me to competitions, and we can watch Victor skate together!” he had suggested once, during their frequent video chats.

“I hope we can do that one day,” Yuuri replied, sighing wistfully. Seeing Victor skate behind a glass screen was already breathtaking, to see him skating in person…Yuuri could only imagine how much more magical it would be.

Slowly, he opened his laptop and clicked on a video Phichit had sent him of his previous short program. Maybe Yuuri could get some inspiration from watching old routines.

He watched the Thai skater, turning and leaping, the expressiveness of his footwork drawing Yuuri into the performance. Something light, something cheerful, something that represents Phichit…

After a couple more videos, Yuuri made his way back to the piano. Placing his right hand on the ivory keys, he closed his eyes, thinking back to Phichit’s skating. His fingers started moving, dancing across the keys, playing out a simple tune.

He continued on, trying out different notes, rearranging sequences, until he found a melody he was satisfied with. Deciding to call it a day, he shut the lid of his piano and made his way to the dining area, where he found a few of his friends already seated at a table.  

As he went to bed that night, the melody still playing over and over in his head, he hoped that Victor would hear the piece and like it.

* * *

Victor sat with two other skaters, Georgi and Chris, as he watched the Thai skater make a few loops around the rink. He had just finished his short program and is currently placed first by a huge margin. Georgi, on the other hand, was currently in third, with Chris in second. The Thai skater didn’t look familiar to Victor, and judging from the youthful look on his face, Victor assumed it was his first time competing in the senior division.

The skater eventually made his way to the centre of the rink, his light blue costume fluttering behind him. He took his starting position, and the stadium fell silent.

The first note rang out, and the skater glided forward. As he skated his routine, twirling and spinning, he almost looked like water, with his blue costume and coursing movements.

It wasn’t the skating, though, that caught Victor’s attention, that made him sit frozen in his seat, eyes wide.

It was the music.

The melody was something Victor had never heard in his life, which was already surprising to him. For Victor, picking the musical pieces for his programs was something he laboured over for weeks. He was very specific about his music: it needed to reflect what he had in mind for the program, what he wanted to evoke, what he wanted the audience to _feel_. He always searched every nook and cranny for possible pieces of music, even commissioning pieces from various composers, but none of them ever met his expectations. He would always settle for the best thing he could find, never feeling completely satisfied with the music he chooses.

The music that was currently playing flowed around the skater, the melody so captivating and vivid, Victor could almost see the notes manifest in the air. It was a lively, happy tune, which was reflected in the skater. Every jump, every step-sequence, was mirrored with just the right notes in the music.

“You look like you’re about to jump out of your seat,” Chris remarked with a smirk, looking at Victor, who was halfway out of his seat. He didn’t even notice himself moving with the music. It was as if the music was an invisible partner, intangible yet almost tangible, pulling his hand, begging him to dance with it. He slowly sat back down, blushing slightly.

“Sorry, it’s just…the music is really catchy,” he explained lamely, unable to describe what he was feeling in words without sounding insane. He saw Chris nod beside him.

“I’ll have to agree with you on that one,” he said, “it really is quite something.”

The skater was nearing the end of his routine, finishing his arms wrapped around him, his head looking into the distance. When the music stopped, Victor almost felt empty. It was so much more silent without its beautiful melody wrapping the stadium in its embrace.

As he watched the scores for the skater come out on the screen, he memorized the name beside the high numbers: _Phichit Chulanont_. They’ll all be at the banquet once the competition is over, giving Victor a chance to talk to Phichit.

He had to know who composed this piece.

* * *

The free skate passed in a blur, with Victor winning the gold at Skate Canada. He was eagerly awaiting Phichit’s free skate, to see if the piece was composed by the same person, but was disappointed when it was a piece he recognized.

Holding his gold medal and plastering a smile, he could barely contain his excitement for the banquet. There, he would finally find out who the mysterious composer for Phichit’s short program was.

When the banquet finally came, he talked to the Thai skater the first chance he got, rushing through multiple conversations with short and generic answers. The boy’s face lit up when he saw Victor approach, whipping his phone out at lightning speed.

“You’re Victor Nikiforov right? Congratulations on the win! Is it okay to take a selfie with you?” he asked. Seeing Victor’s nod of approval, they both leaned together and Phichit snapped a quick picture, immediately uploading it to his social media afterwards.

“And you’re Phichit Chulanont? You made an impressive senior debut,” Victor complimented, earning him a huge smile from the Thai skater.

“Thank you so much! Wow, I can’t believe _the_ Victor Nikiforov is complimenting me! Man, he’s not gonna believe it…”

“Who?” Victor asked curious.

“Oh, my best friend. He’s actually the one who composed my short program! He worked really hard on it too,” he added.

“Your friend composed that piece?” Victor asked, trying to mask the giddiness in his voice. Phichit nodded.

“He’s been composing pieces for a while now, but almost exclusively for figure skating programs. Makes sense though, he’s a huge figure skating fan.”

“I see,” Victor said, nodding mutely. If this friend is a figure skating fan, he must have seen Victor’s skating, no doubt. Perfect.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Your short program,” Victor began. Phichit raised his eyebrow.

“I’m very particular about the type of music I skate to for my programs, so I’ve probably heard just about every single song out there. The piece your friend composed was probably one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve heard in my life.”

“Seriously?!” Phichit exclaimed, his eyes brightening up. “Man, no way! He’ll be over the _moon_ when he hears this!”

Victor laughed, wondering if Phichit’s friend was a fan of his. But if he was…

“So I was wondering…would it be possible to get in touch with him? I’d really like to commission something from him for my next season,” Victor asked tentatively. He knows he has many musicians who were fans of his, and they had always approached him with pieces that they composed, hoping he would use them for his next season. In some cases he does, and he highly appreciates his fans taking the time to do something for him, but none of the pieces ever resonated strongly with him.

If Phichit’s friend was really his fan, how come he never approached him?

“You…you want to commission something? From him?” Phichit asked incredulously, sounding like he was just told he won the Olympic gold medal.

“If it’s possible.”

“Yes, it is very possible! But uh, he doesn’t really like me giving out his email to people. Oh, but you can give me your email, and I’ll tell him to get in touch with you!” Phichit said, then handed Victor his phone, who typed his email on the memo app he opened.

“Oh, if you don’t mind telling me, what’s your friend’s name?” Victor asked before he could forget.

“Yuuri Katsuki,” Phichit replies, typing something on his phone.

Victor turns the name over in his head. _Yuuri Katsuki_.

One day, Victor will skate to a song composed by him.

* * *

Yuuri stared at his phone screen, his eyes wide with shock.

**_Phichit Chulanont_ **

_OMGOMGOMG YUURI VICTOR CAME OVER AND COMPLIMENTED MY SHORT PROGRAM AND LONG STORY SHORT HE WANTS TO COMMISSION YOU FOR HIS NEXT PROGRAM PLS EMAIL HIM AT_ vnikiforov@gmail.com

_BraAAH U GOTTA DO THIS HE SAID IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PIECES OF MUSIC HE’S EVER HEARD._

Victor Nikiforov? Thinking his music, _Yuuri_ ’s music, was beautiful?

How?

What did he see in it?

Rationally, Yuuri knew he should be jumping with joy, firing an email away to Victor right this instant. He had hoped for this to happen, had wanted this so _badly,_ that was why he worked so hard on this piece. But the fear and uncertainty gnawed at him, because how could someone like Victor think his music was beautiful?

Yuuri had always thought his music reflected himself: it was plain, had a good melody, but in the end it was nothing special. It was just another piece of music.

With shaking fingers, he types a reply to Phichit.

**_Yuuri Katsuki_ **

_Are you sure?_

**_Phichit Chulanont_ **

_Y E S YUURI he came up to me and specifically asked about my short program and wanted to commission you. Also he gave me his email???_

**_Yuuri Katsuki_ **

_Maybe he does that with every skater_

He knew Victor was very specific about the music he uses for his skates, so he’s always looking for new pieces. Of course it would make sense for him to approach Phichit, to ask about a piece of music he’s never heard of before. Right. Nothing special.

**_Phichit Chulanont_ **

_Look dude he’s only asked me about music, no one else. FFS just email him Yuuri!!!!!!_

Yuuri stared at the reply, long and hard before firing back a response.

**_Yuuri Katsuki_ **

_I’ll think about it._

He flops onto his bed, turning the conversation over in his head. _The_ Victor Nikiforov, living legend of figure skating, wants Yuuri _specifically_ to compose a piece for him. Knowing that makes Yuuri happy, in a way that makes his heart swell so much, it was going to burst out of his chest.

But along with that was the feeling of unease. What if he ends up not liking it? After all, Yuuri isn’t very experienced, like other composers. For someone like Victor, wouldn’t he be better off commissioning someone who isn’t just a conservatory student, a nobody in the music world? He could almost imagine the disappointment in Victor’s face, how he should have gotten someone else to do the music, how he should never have bothered with Yuuri in the first place…

With the fears catching up to him, Yuuri buried his face in his pillow. He won’t contact Victor today. Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after. Or the month after.

He quickly copied the email address onto a Post-It note and stuck in on his desk. He’ll contact Victor. Eventually.

* * *

Months passed, and Victor did not get a single message from Yuuri Katsuki.

For the first two months, it made sense. The season wasn’t even over yet, so there was no need to rush into creating programs for the next season just yet. But as another month passed, and the season started to draw to a close, Victor started to grow worried. Did Phichit tell Yuuri to contact him? Was Victor too forward with his request? Or did he completely misinterpret what Phichit had said at the banquet, and it turns out Yuuri Katsuki wasn’t his fan at all?

When Victor won the World Championships and the season ended, Yuuri Katsuki still hadn’t contacted him.

* * *

“It’s a good way to get exposure, Yuuri!” Phichit argued, his voice distorted by the tinny speakers of Yuuri’s laptop. He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, but…”

“But?”

“Is it even necessary? I mean, I already get exposure through figure skating programs, so…”

“Yuuri, do you know how many messages I got from people asking for where they can find my short program music? And I had to tell them you don’t post any of your music online?” Phichit asked seriously.

“I don’t know…” Yuuri replied lamely. Phichit had been _begging_ him to post his music online, but Yuuri was always reluctant. Something about exposing a part of himself to others scared him.

“Just give it a try! If it doesn’t end up well, you can always delete the account.”

“I guess…” Yuuri faltered. He glanced away from the screen, looking at the Post-It on his desk, that had been there for months. Whenever Phichit had brought it up a couple times during their conversations, Yuuri always came up with excuses about why he hasn’t contacted him yet. It was too early in the season, he was busy with schoolwork, he was composing another piece for a local skater.

In reality, it was because he was scared. Yuuri knew it was stupid and irrational on his part, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Why is he like this?

After talking for a while, he said goodbye to Phichit and closed the video chat. He goes to the website Phichit suggested he upload the music, and listens through some of the tracks posted on it.

There were lots of very good pieces of music, some that took Yuuri’s breath away, some that made him sway to the beat. And there were some that…to put it nicely, it sounded like pots and pans banging together.

If they had the courage to put their music for everyone to see, to lay themselves bare, why couldn’t Yuuri do the same? Inside, he felt a twinge of pride.

Before he could stop himself, before he could back out, he quickly made an account and started uploading each of his music files, one by one. Like Phichit said earlier, he could always delete it if it doesn’t turn out well.

Secretly, he hoped Victor would stumble across it.

* * *

It was late at night, and Victor knew he should be sleeping. His eyelids were drooping, and the contents on his laptop screen started to blur together.

He listened to so many pieces of music, but they all paled in comparison to what he had heard at Skate Canada. Inside, he knew he should give up, that Yuuri Katsuki wouldn’t contact him after all, and he should just find whatever is best out there.

But still…he held onto a fragment of hope.

Eventually, after going through so many tracks, they all started to sound the same to him. He was about to call it quits when suddenly, a familiar tune starts to play, immediately waking Victor up.

The music from Phichit’s short program.

He clicked on the artist’s name, linking him to Yuuri Katsuki’s account. On it were several other tracks.

Victor listened to all of them, each one captivating his heart in different ways.

How had he never found this before?

That was when he noticed all the tracks were uploaded the day before. The account was newly made too, containing no information except for the composer’s name: Yuuri Katsuki.

“So he only started to share his music now,” Victor mumbled to himself as he clicked through the tracks.

After listening to all the tracks again, one in particular caught his attention more than the others. It was a simple piano track, but its notes reflected a soft melancholy, almost a feeling of aching, that stirred something within Victor.

It’s not a commission, but at least it’s by the same composer.

Maybe Victor could get Yuuri’s attention this way.

He closed his laptop and feel backwards onto his bed, his poodle Makkachin stirring slightly beside him. He smiled to himself, glad that he finally found his program music.

* * *

At first, Yuuri couldn’t believe his ears.

But as he listened closer, trying to see if he was mistaken, it was clear Victor was using one of Yuuri’s pieces for his short program.

He must have come across Yuuri’s account and listened to his tracks, picking one that Yuuri had composed a couple of years ago in his free time. It wasn’t something he was particularly proud of and it was different than pieces he usually composed, but he had posted it nonetheless.

Never, in his dreams, did he think Victor would actually skate to it.

He watched the Russian skater as he moved gracefully with the piano melody, bringing out the mournful melody out with each spin and jump. Victor was beautiful as always, but paired with the music Yuuri composed, it was almost an entirely different experience. Somehow, it made Victor’s performance even more breathtaking and amazing.

As the routine came to a close, Yuuri looked back over to the Post-It note that was still on his desk after so many months. If Victor thought a piece that Yuuri composed years ago was good enough to skate to, then maybe, just maybe, he would think something Yuuri composed now would be even better.

Slowly, Yuuri opened his email account and started typing a message.

* * *

A soft _ping_ alerted Victor to a new email in his inbox. He clicked on it, then felt his breathing stop when he read the address.

**_y_katsuki@gmail.com_ **

Could it be…?

He quickly opened the email.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Dear Mr. Nikiforov,_

_My name is Yuuri Katsuki and I am the composer of the piece you chose for your short program. I was also told by my friend, Phichit Chulanont, that you approached him last year and was interested in commissioning a piece from me. I would like to apologize for not contacting you the past year, as I was very busy with my academics and various other commitments. However, if you are still interested, I am now open for commissions. Please let me know your thoughts._

_Regards,_

_Yuuri Katsuki_

Victor read over the email five times, his heart thundering in his chest. Almost immediately, he began typing a response.

 ** _Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_**           

_Dear Mr. Katsuki,_

_Thank you for the message! I am still very interested in commissioning a piece from you. As it is still early in the season, I’m still not sure about what my programs will be like next season, but I can provide you with some ideas as the season progresses. Please keep in touch!_

_Sincerely,_

_Victor Nikiforov_

_P.S: just Victor is fine :)_

* * *

The rest of the season continued on with Yuuri and Victor exchanging emails, discussing possible themes and ideas for the next season. Yuuri still couldn’t fully believe that Victor, _the_ Victor Nikiforov, was commissioning him for his program’s music.

Once Victor had asked if they could do a video chat, but Yuuri told him he prefers email as his primary communication for commissions. He found it easier to write out his thoughts, where he could read over the message before sending it. Talking is hard: sometimes the words don’t come out right, the tone is off, and especially when Yuuri is nervous, they string together in an incoherent way.

And he would definitely be a nervous wreck talking to Victor.

By the end of the season, the emails were getting less and less formal, and Yuuri realized Victor really liked to use emojis in his messages, which were always enthusiastic and full of excitement, almost child-like. He found it kind of funny and unexpected, since the Victor he sees on TV seems like he would be the stoic, serious type.

Once the season ended, they finally got to work on the program with full attention. They went over the ideas they had brought up over the months, Yuuri trying out a few melodies on his piano, but none of them satisfied him.

Yuuri wanted to create a piece that embodies Victor, but how can simple musical notes even begin to describe him?

One particular night, after a frustrating day of composing with no success, he and Victor were exchanging emails again, discussing the usual topics on themes and moods. Victor seemed to have picked up on Yuuri’s bad mood somehow, from just the short messages that Yuuri sent him.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Yuuri, you don’t sound very happy. Did something happen? :(_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_You can tell?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_:( :( :( :( mind sharing? You don’t have to if you don’t want to tho_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_No, it’s fine…I guess I’ve just been feeling uninspired lately. I’m really sorry for not coming up with anything good so far, but I promise I’ll get some music to you soon :)_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_That’s ok, take your time :) I know how bad it feels to be uninspired._

Yuuri stared at the message. Did he misread something? Victor Nikiforov, uninspired? It always seems like he’s coming up with new ideas, new surprises each season that gets the audience on the edge of their seats. Yuuri had always assumed that Victor was a genius with never-ending ideas, never lacking inspiration. Slowly, he began typing up a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_You do?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Yeah…tbh, I was actually feeling pretty uninspired about a year ago. I felt like I was starting to run out of ideas, that no one’s surprised about what I do anymore. No matter what ideas I came up with, they didn’t seem good enough._

Didn’t seem good enough…Yuuri knew that feeling all too well. Knowing that Victor had felt the same way once was comforting, in a weird way. It made Victor more relatable, and less like the untouchable legend Yuuri always viewed him as.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Oh…that does sound tough, and I’m actually feeling the same way right now :( How did you find your inspiration again?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_I found your music._

Yuuri froze, feeling his eyes widen in shock, a blush creeping across his face. His music was what inspired Victor? Out of all the things in this world, it was _his music_? How? And why? Shakily, he typed up a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_My music?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_There’s something unique about the music you create…I can’t really explain it in words, but whenever I hear your music, I always become filled with new ideas. When I heard Phichit’s short program, I just had to find whoever composed it. I even gave him my email but you never contacted me :( :( :(_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Ahhh I’m so sorry about that_ _m(_ _;m)_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_LOL it’s fine ;) at least you contacted me eventually, after I stalked your account and used one of your pieces ^^_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_(*/ω_ _＼_ _) stop (*/ω_ _＼_ _) I already said I was sorry!_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_LMAO okayyy :) :) But seriously, your music helped me through a rough patch and I can’t thank you enough for that. You inspired me Yuuri, and I’ll do anything to help you get your inspiration back. Is there anything you want me to do?_

Yuuri looked long and hard at the last message. Somehow, by some miracle, Yuuri’s music had inspired Victor. And now he wants to return the favour.

But he’s been returning the favour, every single day, every time Yuuri sees him skate or opens his emails, littered with ideas and smiley faces.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Just being yourself is enough inspiration for me._

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Yuuri and Victor worked tirelessly over the programs. They decided that Yuuri should work on the free program, while Victor would choose another piece of music for his short program. He decided that his theme for next season would be “love”, and when Yuuri asked why, Victor simply said he wanted to try something different.

Yuuri wondered how many lovers Victor has had in the past.

Personally, Yuuri only had a few relationships that never lasted long, because he would always be too afraid to open up. There was something about exposing his vulnerable side to someone else that terrified him, like he was giving them the capacity to hurt him. He never trusted someone enough to do that.

However, with Victor, Yuuri could feel himself opening up, more and more with each message. It was surprisingly easy to communicate with Victor: he never pushed Yuuri to share details about himself that he was uncomfortable with, letting Yuuri set the pace of their growing relationship. And whenever Yuuri shared something about himself, Victor would always return the gesture.

When Yuuri opened up, Victor met him halfway.

He told Victor about the conservatory, about Hasetsu, and how he and Phichit met. He talked about Yuuko, and how she got married to her childhood friend, Takeshi. He even talked about how much he missed Hasetsu, how it was hard to make friend with a language barrier, how he struggled to improve his English over the years.

And in return, Yuuri learned lots of things about Victor as well. How he lived by himself in St. Petersburg with his poodle, Makkachin. He also learned about Victor’s rinkmates: Yuri Plisetsky, the fifteen-year old Russian punk, who was making his senior debut this year; Georgi Popovich, who was recently dumped by his ice-dancer girlfriend and kept crying about it; and Mila Babicheva, who constantly liked to tease Yuri, much to his anger. He told Yuuri stories that made his sides hurt from laughter, about the weather in St. Petersburg, about how his day was. His emails were becoming more frequent and long, gladly sharing any details about himself with Yuuri.

It was like Victor had been aching to share his life with someone else.

With that feeling in mind, Yuuri worked on the free program. First, he got the basic melody down on piano, and then reached out to the other conservatory students to translate it into strings and wind. He felt that it suited the piece better than the piano, which he thought couldn’t bring out the full feeling he had in mind for the music.

Victor also mentioned that he wanted to try skating to a piece with lyrics, so Yuuri asked one of the tenor singers to sing for this piece. Yuuri came up with the lyrics and had them translated into Italian, partly because it sounded better, and partly because he was a little embarrassed with the Japanese lyrics.

Finally, after lots of hard work, Yuuri was finally done the piece. He eagerly typed up a message, attached the sound file to the email, then sent it. Feeling exhausted, he flopped onto his bed and fell asleep, hoping Victor would like the piece.

* * *

 

Seeing the email appear in his inbox, Victor excitedly clicked it and read over Yuuri’s message.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_(1 attachment)_

_It’s finally done!!! Please let me know what you think ^^;_

Victor clicked on the attached sound file and waited.

The music started with the sound of a clarinet, which was joined with the trumpets and strings in the background. Then, a male voice started to sing, in a language that Victor barely registered was Italian.

He was only ten seconds into the song, and yet he was already fully immersed.

The voice sounded mournful and lonely, an aching feeling that Victor recognized, since he felt it himself almost every day. The trumpets and strings started to swell, reaching a crescendo, joined with the beating of a drum. The voice cried out, almost like a plea for help, and Victor couldn’t help but reach out into the emptiness in front of him, knowing no one is there to receive his hand.

The song ended with a dramatic fanfare of drums and trumpets, the tenor’s voice matching the fortissimo of the instruments. Victor sat in silence, feeling an unfamiliar wetness on his cheeks.

Tears, he realized. He was crying.

How did Yuuri know?

Was it that obvious? That he was lonely?

He listened to the piece over and over again, feeling more and more immersed each time. He could see a routine in front of him, every spin, every jump was crystal clear. Before he knew it, he had written down a rough draft of the choreography, the music still playing on the speakers of his laptop. He didn’t want to turn it off, didn’t want the music to ever stop.

Was it possible to be in love with a piece of music?

He never had a piece of music affect him as much as this, connected this much with him. It was like a representation of how Victor felt for the past few years: seeing love, seeing connections and craving it from the sidelines. He tried to connect with people, but they all saw him as the living legend, a rival, an untouchable being. Never as himself.

In fact, he realized, the only person he came close to having a connection with was Yuuri, who he had never met, who asked Victor to be himself. He realized that Yuuri was the first person who ever saw Victor as himself, not as an idea, like so many other people.

Yuuri, who composed this piece for him. Yuuri, who had somehow understood how he felt all these years just from words on a screen.

Victor had to meet him in person.

* * *

 

Yuuri woke up and rolled over to his side, picking up his phone. There was a new email from Victor, and he opened the message.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_This is the most beautiful piece of music I’ve ever heard in my life!!!!! Thank you so much <3 <3  I would love to meet you in person so I can thank you properly ^^ _

Yuuri stared at the message, reading it over and over again, feeling his face redden. He thought the music was…beautiful? Well, Yuuri was pretty proud of the piece and he put lots of effort into it, but to have Victor call it beautiful…that was something.

And he wanted to _meet_ Yuuri?

They had been exchanging messages for months, slowly growing closer and closer. But the thought of talking to Victor, seeing his face, hearing his voice…it still made Yuuri nervous.

A part of him wanted to meet Victor, but the other part held him back.

His hands moved by themselves and he found himself dialing Phichit’s number. After a couple of rings, he picked up.

“Yuuri? Do you know what time it is in Bangkok?” he mumbled, sounding like he just woke up.

“Victor wants to meet me,” Yuuri blurted out.

Silence.

“YUURI OH MY GOD!” Phichit exclaimed, wide awake. The sudden loudness made Yuuri wince, pulling his phone away from his ear.

“I’m guessing you sent him the piece and he really liked it?” Phichit asked excitedly.

“Yeah…he called it…uh…beautiful?” Yuuri forced out, blushing all the way to his ears. He heard Phichit squeal on the other end.

“Yuuri that’s amazing! No wonder he wants to meet you! So? When are you planning on meeting up with him?”

“I don’t know? I mean, we’re both super busy right now, like, he’s gotta prepare for next season and I have a million pieces to compose for other skaters so I’m not even sure if we can meet? And I’m pretty sure he usually meets with people he commissions music from, it probably doesn’t mean anything –“

“Woah, okay, slow down,” Phichit says, and Yuuri pauses, catching his breath. He hears a sigh on the other side.

“I get it: you’re nervous right?” Phichi asked gently.

“Yeah,” Yuuri replied quietly. There were a million worries in his head, most of which made no sense, but made him anxious nonetheless. He knew that Victor wasn’t the type to judge from appearance, based on the conversations they’ve had for months, but he was still worried he wouldn’t be what Victor expected him to be. He was plain-looking, baby-faced, and near sighted. He had anxiety, was a mess most of the time, and stumbles over his words. Victor probably expected someone better than Yuuri.

“Mm…I’d be nervous too if I were in your situation. And you _are_ right about the two of you being busy, so it is a bit hard to meet right now. But…”

“But what?” Yuuri asked, curious.

“Why don’t you two meet at his first competition? I think it would be one of the Grand Prix events in October. It is quite a while away, but I think it’ll give you lots of time to mentally prepare yourself,” Phichit laughed, lifting a weight off Yuuri’s shoulders.

“You’re right, it _is_ a couple months away…but I’ll ask him. You’re the best, Phichit,” Yuuri complimented, hearing his friend laugh on the other end.

“I know I am,” he agreed. They said goodbye, then Yuuri started typing up his response to the email.

* * *

 

Victor was going over his choreography on the ice, the skates scraping along the surface, when he heard the _ping_ sound of his phone notifying him of an incoming email. He quickly paused the music, took out his earbuds, and opened the message.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_I’m glad you_ _like the piece_  (〃＾▽＾〃) _And I would love to meet with you too, but I’m swamped with commissions at the moment so I don’t know when I’ll have time! I’m planning on going to the Grand Prix events though, so would it be okay to meet then? I know it’s a couple months away, but my schedule is really unpredictable rn ;_;_

Victor had to fight the sinking, disappointed feeling in his chest as he read the message. He knew Yuuri was busy; word had gotten out that Victor commissioned a piece from him, and suddenly Yuuri was inundated with skaters asking him to compose pieces for them. It was understandable that he wouldn’t have time.

Still, Victor couldn’t help but feel like Yuuri doesn’t want to meet him. It was a small feeling, but it gnawed at him nonetheless. He wanted to meet him _now_ , have Yuuri in front of him, so he could tell him how much this piece of music means to Victor. He wanted to know everything about Yuuri: his likes, dislikes, his favourite piece of music, his favourite instrument, what food did he like to eat?

Victor had always been flighty and impatient, doing things on a whim and rushing through training, much to Yakov’s frustration. He almost considered hopping on a plane and flying to Detroit right this instant to track down Yuuri.

But he didn’t. He knew if he did this, he’d scare Yuuri away, and he’d probably never hear from him again.

That was the last thing Victor wanted.

So he’ll wait, for Yuuri’s sake.

* * *

 

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Ahhh I’m sorry to hear that :( :( :(  I’ve been pretty busy too, since Yakov’s been making me train 24/7 ;________; we can meet during the Grand Prix then! I think placements are coming out soon, so we can have a concrete date once it comes out!!! For now, can we still keep in touch?_

Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. It didn’t seem like Victor was mad, and he was still open to the idea of meeting. He typed up a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Of course we can still keep in touch!! I love hearing about your day ^^ and besides, it’s nice to have someone to vent to when I’m having a bad day lol :P_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_< 3 <3 <3 I’m glad you feel the same way!!!!! <3 <3 <3 speaking of, Georgi cried again today lmaooo_

Yuuri laughed, knowing there was a good story following this email. They continued messaging each other until Victor needed to go, since his coach started yelling at him.

He turned to his piano, starting to work on a piece commissioned by a younger skater named Minami Kenjirou, who he had met before when he still lived in Hasetsu. The skater had started training in Detroit, and approached Yuuri a few days ago, gushing about how much he loved the music Yuuri composed. It was a little strange, seeing someone look up to him so much, since Yuuri was just a dime-a-dozen composer. His fingers moved over the keys, playing out a tune that resembles a boogie. Minami had wanted something bright and lively, that would fire the audience up. And what better way to achieve that than a boogie that reflected Minami’s sunny personality?

A few days later, the Grand Prix placements came out. By some stroke of luck, Victor and Phichit were both competing in Skate America for their first event, so Yuuri would be able to watch both his best friend and Victor skate. Furthermore, Chicago was only a few hours away from Detroit by car, so that saves him the cost of a plane ticket.

Yuuri was starting to calculate how much he would have to save up for a ticket when an email from Victor appeared.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_(1 attachment)_

_I already bought you a ticket. October 21. See you then ^^_

Yuuri took out his calendar and marked the date with a huge circle. As each day passed, he crossed out each square on the calendar, counting down the days until they meet.

He wondered if Victor did the same.

* * *

 

Victor looked at his calendar each night before going to bed, counting down the days until he and Yuuri would finally meet.

Every day he trained harder than he ever had in his life, because for once, there was a person he was skating for.

Yakov noticed the change, but didn’t make any comments, instead praying this change would be permanent. Victor always got distracted during practice, especially when Yakov gets him to do compulsory figures. It wasn’t even required in competition anymore, but Yakov insisted Victor practice them, saying it would improve his technique.

These days however, he was completely focused on whatever he was doing. He did figures with unwavering concentration, went over parts of his choreography over and over again until he got it perfect, and stayed behind during practice until the rink closed.

Sometimes he would send videos of his skating to Yuuri for his opinion, to see whether he should change any of the choreography. Often, the replies would be full of praise, and sometimes suggestions for improvement. Yuuri reciprocated by sending Victor recordings of pieces he’s working on, which Victor would provide his own opinion on.

It was a comfortable balance, an equivalent exchange between the two.

One day, as Victor was sending an email to Yuuri, he caught Yuri Plisetsky glancing at his phone screen.

“You’re fucking disgusting,” he commented, taking a drink of water from his bottle. Victor turned to him, smiling mischievously.

“What’s so disgusting about sending emails to someone? I like talking to him. Did you know he likes dogs too? Whenever he talks about them he gets really emotional, it’s so cute, especially when he talks about poodles – “

“Oh my God, shut the fuck up you geezer!” Yuri snarled, slamming his water bottle down. “You’re going to make me puke with your lovey-dovey descriptions of your mysterious boyfriend. Talk about that shit with Mila, she’ll love hearing about it.”

As Yuri skated away, Victor turned the words over in his head. Had he sounded really “lovey-dovey”? And he called Yuuri Victor’s “mysterious boyfriend.”

Had he been falling all this time? Was it even possible to fall for someone he’s never even met?

But when he read Yuuri’s reply, he caught Mila looking at him with a very knowing expression.

“Have you ever noticed how big your smile gets whenever you get an email?” she asked. Victor laughed.

“Well now I do, since you just told me.”

“Whatever, it’s normal. I can’t help but smile when Sara messages me.”

“Your girlfriend?” Victor asked. Mila nodded, then skated away.

Holding his phone, Victor smiled to himself. Maybe he had been falling this entire time.

He didn’t mind at all.

* * *

 

After training, he messaged Mila’s girlfriend, an Italian skater named Sara Crispino. He listened to his free program music more times than he could count, but he still had no idea what the lyrics meant. The only clue he had was the title of the piece, “Stay Close to Me”. When he asked Yuuri, he refused to tell him, saying the lyrics didn’t really matter, buy Victor was still curious.

**_Victor Nikiforov_ **

_Hey Sara! Can you give this a listen for me? It’s my free program piece and the lyrics are in Italian, but I have no idea what it’s saying :(_

_Victor.free.skate.mp4_

**_Sara Crispino_ **

_Sure! Give me like fifteen minutes lol :)_

Victor waited, going through his social media to pass the time. After a while, Sara messaged him back.

**_Sara Crispino_ **

_Hey, you said you commissioned this piece right? Who’s the composer?_

Victor smiled, feeling a swell of pride in his chest.

**_Victor Nikiforov_ **

_I did commission this! His name is Yuuri Katsuki and he’s a composer from Japan! Well, he’s attending a conservatory in Detroit right now, but he’s from Japan lol :P So? What do the lyrics say?_

**_Sara Crispino_ **

_Wow, I gotta search up his music after lmao, it’s hella good :O And he never told you what the lyrics were?????_

**_Victor Nikiforov_ **

_Nooo :( I asked him but he said they didn’t matter._

**_Sara Crispino_ **

_AD;LFKDDS HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT?????????_

_HOLY SHIT DUDE_

**_Victor Nikiforov_ **

_????_

_Sara what do the lyrics say??????_

**_Sara Crispino_ **

_Gimme a sec, I’m writing it down now_

Victor waited, watching the three dots at the bottom bounce up and down. Why did Sara have such a huge reaction? Were the lyrics that significant? And if so, why did Yuuri say they didn’t matter?

After what felt like an eternity, Sara finally sent an English translation of the lyrics. As Victor read each line, he felt his chest ache more and more, until he felt his eyes start to water.

_Stay close to me, don’t go away_

_I’m afraid of losing you_

This wasn’t just a piece about loneliness. It was about longing. It was about finding something, _someone_ , so precious one day, that the thought of losing them would be unbearable. Someone to hold onto, and not let go.

How did Yuuri come up with these lyrics? And why did he brush them off, saying they didn’t matter?

Was this how Yuuri felt about Victor?

He hoped this was the case.

Because in that moment, Victor realized this was how he felt about Yuuri.

Tentatively, he began writing an email to him.

* * *

 

When Yuuri saw the email was from Victor, he immediately opened it, abandoning the piece he was working on.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Hey…remember when I asked you what the lyrics meant in the free program?_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Yeah, why? I told you they didn’t matter lmao, I just wrote some stuff in Japanese and translated it to Italian cuz it sounded nice :P_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_I asked my friend to translate them for me._

Yuuri’s heart leapt into his throat. He told Victor the lyrics didn’t matter, but that was a lie. While he was composing, Yuuri may have self-projected, just a little. It was hard not to.

After all, Yuuri felt lonely sometimes too.

Especially in a large conservatory, in a foreign country, away from his family.

The first year was the hardest, when his English wasn’t very good yet and he was getting used to living by himself. He got along with his roommate, but besides the occasional conversation, they didn’t talk much. It wasn’t their fault though, they had tried to talk to Yuuri multiple times. But each time, Yuuri would close in on himself, giving them short replies with his limited English.

There were some nights where he missed Hasetsu, missed his mother’s katsudon, missed his poodle, missed the talks he had with Yuuko at Ice Castle. He would cry himself to sleep, then wake up the next morning like nothing happened.

Thankfully, Yuuko and his family called often, and he had frequent video chats with Phichit. Slowly, but surely, he opened himself more to his peers, and by the end of his first year, he finally settled into Detroit. He still missed Hasetsu, but it didn’t hurt as much anymore.

Yuuri knew he was surrounded by love, that he had lots of support. But sometimes, he wondered what it felt like to meet someone he wouldn’t want to let go of, someone who he hoped would stay close to him.

And over the months, as he talked with Victor, as they shared more of their moments together, the thought of never talking to him again became unbearable. Of all the people in Yuuri’s life, Victor was the first person he ever wanted to hold onto.

When he came up with the lyrics and wrote them, he felt his own feelings came through. He was originally going to have them in English, but opted for Italian instead, since he knew Victor wouldn’t understand. It was silly, but Yuuri didn’t want to let Victor know how he felt.

He was sure Victor would never feel the same way.

But now, Victor knew what the lyrics meant.

Trying to keep the tone light, Yuuri typed up a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Oh, I didn’t know you had a friend who understood Italian! Did they like the piece?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_They did. But Yuuri…is it true? That the lyrics don’t matter?_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Well, sort of. I mean, I knew your theme was love, so I decided to write something along the lines of it? Idk, it was just something random I came up with, it doesn’t really mean anything haha ^^_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_So you’ve never felt this way about someone?_

Yuuri looked at the question, biting his lip. Of course he’s felt this way about someone. In fact, he’s feeling this way right now.

But with shaking hands, he types up a reply and decides to lie.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Nope, never have in my life_ _(//_ _▽_ _//)_

Yuuri sends it and holds his breath, waiting for a reply. Usually, Victor would reply almost instantaneously, but this time he was taking uncharacteristically long. Finally, a new email appears.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Okay._

“Okay?” Yuuri whispers quietly to himself. Why did it take Victor so long for a one word response? Cautiously, he types a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Victor? Is everything alright?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Yeah, everything’s fine :) I’m just kinda tired. I think I’m gonna go sleep now._

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_LMAO alright ^^ good night!!_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Good night :)_

Yuuri read the conversation over and over, trying to figure out why Victor’s tone suddenly changed. Did he think the lyrics were weird? Unfitting? Maybe Yuuri should have gotten someone else to write the lyrics.

He turned back towards the piece he was working on, the conversation still on his mind. For some reason, a feeling of unease began crawling up his back, but he pushed it down. Victor was just tired, that’s why his replies were short. He’s not upset…right? And why did he ask if Yuuri ever met someone he wants to hold onto? Why would he even _care_?

A small voice in Yuuri’s head suggested that maybe Victor feels the same way, but Yuuri quickly silenced it. There was no way Victor would ever feel this way about Yuuri.

* * *

 

It took a couple of days, but Victor was finally able to talk to Yuuri normally again. He still felt a dull ache whenever he reads the emails Yuuri sends him, but it hurts less now.

He should’ve known that Yuuri wouldn’t feel the same way. After all, why would he? They’ve never even met, for crying out loud.

After knowing and understanding the lyrics, and knowing how Yuuri felt, the way Victor skated his free program changed. Before, he just wanted to evoke a feeling of loneliness, for the desire to feel a connection, a very general feeling. But now, he wanted to also express longing and heartache, specific feelings targeted to a specific person.

He hoped Yuuri would watch him and understand, even if it’s unrequited.

* * *

 

Yuuri couldn’t sleep that night.

Tomorrow, finally, he was going to Skate America. Tomorrow, he would finally meet Victor.

Part of him was excited, part of him was scared.

He and Victor had gotten considerably closer during the months leading to tomorrow, but old fears began creeping up on him again. Would Victor still like Yuuri after knowing what he’s like in person? Over email, Yuuri had time to think about what he said, could string together words in just the right way to express himself. He felt comfortable and protected behind a screen.

But meeting Victor face-to-face? He didn’t have time to think about what he’s going to say, couldn’t read over his message and make edits. Whatever he said would be final.

Scrunching his eyes together, he forced himself to fall asleep. He wouldn’t want to meet Victor while he’s sleep-deprived.

* * *

 

Victor couldn’t sleep that night.

Tomorrow, finally, he was flying to Chicago, for Skate America. Tomorrow, he would finally meet Yuuri.

Part of him was excited, part of him was scared.

He had been waiting months for this day, been counting down the days in his calendar, seeing the white squares decrease and the crosses increase with each passing day. And yet, now that the day is finally here, why does he feel a sense of dread?

It was a long time ago, but it still hurts to think about it.

 _Nope,_ Yuuri had said, nonchalantly, _never have in my life!_

Victor had stared at the message, hoping it would change. Deep inside, he knew his feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. Yuuri didn’t seem like the type of person who would fall for someone over email messages and music, unlike Victor.

It still hurt, though.

Maybe this was why part of him feels scared.

He feels especially scared when he thinks of his free skate, about the message he wants to convey with it. Would Yuuri understand? And if he did, would he maybe start to feel the same way? Or would things get awkward, and he decides to cut contact between them?

That last thought pained Victor’s chest. Squeezing his eyes shut, he forces himself to go to sleep. He wouldn’t want to meet Yuuri while he’s sleep-deprived.

* * *

 

Yuuri meets Phichit in the hotel lobby, who gave him a bone-crushing hug.

“Yuuri! I’ve missed you!” he exclaimed, pulling away. They both laughed.

“Me too!”

“So? Have you and Victor met yet?” Phichit asked excitedly.

“Oh, uh, not yet,” Yuuri replies weakly. Victor had emailed him earlier, saying he was already in Chicago, but had gone out for dinner with the rest of his rinkmates. They planned to meet afterwards at a café Yuuri had been to during the few times he’s come to the city.

“Yuuri, you look kind of pale,” Phichit remarks with concern.

“I do? Probably because it’s cold?”

“Right…”

Yuuri glances at his watch. Soon, Victor would be done eating dinner, so Yuuri should start heading towards the café…

Except he doesn’t. His feet won’t move.

“Phichit, I can’t do this,” he finally admits, grabbing onto his friend’s shoulders.

“Yes you can Yuuri, you just need to calm down. Victor’s a nice guy, he’s not going to hurt you,” Phichit consoles gently, rubbing Yuuri’s arms in a comforting way.

Yuuri knows he’s right, there’s nothing to be afraid of. But oh, what if Yuuri trips and falls in front of him? What if Victor doesn’t like the café? What if he’s disappointed in how Yuuri looks?

The fears he kept quiet suddenly roared around him, and he found it hard to breathe. He tried to get air into his lungs, but it didn’t reach that far. His breath came out in gasps, black dots appearing in the sides of his vision.

“Hey, Yuuri? Yuuri! Alright, listen to me okay? Breathe with me, okay, one,” Phichit says, then takes a deep breath. Yuuri listens and tries to follow, taking a shaky breath. After a couple more, his breathing becomes less ragged, his vision returns to normal. Eventually, he collapses onto his friend’s shoulder, feeling tears forming in his eyes.

“Maybe you should postpone it to tomorrow,” Phichit suggested. Yuuri nodded mutely, kicking himself inside. It was just a _meeting_ for God’s sake, and with someone he’s talked to for so many months! There was no reason for him to be scared. And yet…

Defeated, Yuuri whips out his phone, showing a new email from Victor.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Hey, I’m at the café you suggested! Where are you? ^^_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Sorry, but I’m not feeling well tonight, so I have to cancel :( We can meet tomorrow though! Hopefully I’ll be feeling better soon lol_

Yuuri waited for a response.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Aww, sorry to hear that :’( Hope you feel better soon! We can definitely meet tomorrow instead :D_

Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief and fired a quick reply. Afterwards, he went back to his hotel room, collapsing onto his bed.

Tomorrow, for sure, he would meet Victor.

* * *

 

Victor read the message again as he laid in bed, trying to fall asleep.

He had waited at the café, arriving early due to anticipation. His heart was threatening to burst out of his chest, and he couldn’t stop smiling. So when he received the message from Yuuri, he couldn’t help but feel his heart sink like a stone.

It’s not Yuuri’s fault, of course. Everyone gets sick sometimes.

And yet Victor couldn’t shake off the feeling that Yuuri didn’t want to come, and had come up with an excuse to avoid him.

Victor knew it was ridiculous, but the thought plagued him all night. He knew that Yuuri didn’t feel the same way as Victor, but he had been careful in his messages right? He tried not to let his feelings leak through, keeping it the same, light, platonic tone they had maintained for all those months.

So why would Yuuri avoid him?

Turning to his side, he forced himself to go to sleep. Hopefully everything would be cleared up once they met tomorrow.

* * *

 

Yuuri held his breath as Victor made a few loops around the rink, the crowd going wild for him. From a TV screen, he was already very handsome, but in person…

How was it possible for someone to be so _painfully_ good-looking?

His costume was a simple black outfit, with shiny, gold lines running across it. Yuuri had helped Victor pick it out, saying he would look good in it and it fit with the short program music. He made his way to the centre of the rink, taking his starting position.

The first notes rang, and he raised both arms before sliding them down his body in a seductive manner. Yuuri felt his face redden. Despite his protests, Victor picked a song Yuuri had written a few years ago, when he was experimenting with different styles. One of his friends had underestimated Yuuri, betting that he couldn’t compose two different arrangements of the same piece of music, and because Yuuri hated losing, he worked day and night to win the bet. He walked away $100 richer with two new arrangements.

The arrangement Victor picked was called _On Love: Eros_ , which was meant to portray sexual love. It did fit though, since everyone knew Victor was probably one of the most eligible bachelors in the world right now. He practically exudes attractiveness and seduction.

Watching Victor skate in front of him, in person, was an out-of-body experience. The way he moved to the music, his jumps, his spins…everything seemed so much more _vivid_. On a screen, he was already breathtaking; in person, he was almost inhuman.

Yuuri couldn’t tear his eyes away for a second, feeling entranced by the performance. He barely registered Phichit snickering beside him, sneaking a photo of his face with his phone.

The routine ended with Victor’s arms wrapped around his chest, looking towards the side. The entire stadium cheered, many of the audience members standing up. Yuuri and Phichit stood up, clapping and cheering with everyone else.

It was a perfect routine: Victor’s skating, combined with Yuuri’s music, which complimented each other very well. This was reflected in the high scores that Victor earned. Yuuri beamed at the scores, feeling pride swelling in his chest. He wasn’t the one skating, and yet, it felt like a joint achievement between him and Victor.

Yuuri watched Phichit’s short program, cheering him on from the stands. He picked a song from his favourite movie, _The King and the Skater_ , that no Thai skater has ever skated to before. He felt like a proud parent, watching his friend make figure-skating history.

The short programs ended with Victor in first place and Phichit in fifth. Phichit chattered away about how he was going to rise through the rankings while he and Yuuri ate dinner, stating it was the free skate that counts anyways.

Yuuri felt his phone buzz, and took it out to see that Victor had emailed him.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Yuuri!!! Are you feeling better today??? <3_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Yeah, a little bit ^^ also, your short program today was amazing!!! I still can’t believe you picked that piece tho ==;_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_But I like that piece, it makes me feel sexy ;)_

Yuuri choked on his water.

“You okay?” Phichit asked as Yuuri wiped his mouth. He nodded quickly before collecting himself, then started to type a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_AAhhhhhh omg lol (*/_ _▽_ _＼_ _*)_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_LOL your reaction ahahahaha :’D anyways, I just wanted to tell you that I’m almost done dinner and I’ll be at the café in maybe fifteen minutes? Will you be there?_

Yuuri took a deep breath. He was feeling a lot more relaxed tonight, and after seeing Victor skate, Yuuri wanted to meet him face-to-face more than anything. The fears that he felt last night were absent, and he typed the reply before his anxiety stopped him.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Yeah I’ll be there! I’m almost done having dinner too ^^ see you in fifteen minutes!_

* * *

 

Yuuri looked at his phone. It was already five minutes past the time he was supposed to meet Victor at the café. He sipped his latte, trying to fight the unease inside him.

 _Maybe he just running late,_ he thought to himself, checking his phone for any emails. Yuuri decided to send him a message saying he was at the café already.

Ten more minutes passed by, and Victor will didn’t show up. He also didn’t reply to Yuuri’s email either. Yuuri finished his drink and checked his social media, already feeling dread creeping up his back.

Fifteen more minutes passed by, and there was still no sign of Victor. It was already thirty minutes past their arranged meeting time.

Slowly, Yuuri got up and left the cafe, accepting that he’d been stood up.

Why did Victor not come? And why was he not answering his emails?

Logically, Yuuri knew there was probably a good reason behind it, he’s sure Victor isn’t the type to stand someone up…right? And he had sounded so excited about their meeting.

But all these assumptions were just based on words on a screen. For all he knew, Victor could just be pretending to be nice.

Maybe he had something more important to do, more important than Yuuri. It made sense; he just gave a brilliant short program today and is currently in first place, and reporters would be dying to know if he thinks he can defend his title as Grand Prix champion. They’re much more important than Yuuri.

It hurts to think about it.

“Stupid Victor,” Yuuri mumbled to himself, his eyes stinging. When he felt his phone buzz, he didn’t look. Right now, he doesn’t want to read any excuses Victor came up with.

* * *

 

Victor was half an hour late and he was freaking out.

When he was heading towards the café, he got sidetracked by a couple of figure skating fans who recognized him. They chattered and gushed to him non-stop, and although he appreciated the support, he was running late to his date.

Well, Yuuri called it a “meeting”, but Victor preferred the term “date” instead.

After he was able to leave the conversation, he realized he had gone the exact opposite direction of the café, and had to retrace his steps. It took a while to find it last night, and now that it was dark and he’s running late, his sense of direction became even worse than it already was. He took a couple of wrong turns and got lost, but ultimately, he was able to find the café.

Except when he got there, Yuuri was gone.         

He had been so caught up in finding the café that he forgot to tell Yuuri he was running late. Victor pulled out his phone and felt his stomach drop at the unread email.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_I’m at the café already! Where are you?_

The timestamp showed it was sent about forty minutes ago. Yuuri must have thought Victor forgot, or worse, that he purposefully stood Yuuri up. Quickly, he began typing a response.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Yuuri I’m so sorry!! I got sidetracked by a couple of fans and then I got lost, and I was so busy trying to find the café that I forgot to check my email T.T where are you now?_

Victor sent the message then bought himself a drink, sitting down at one of the tables. He waited and waited for a response, but there was nothing. He decides to send a few more emails.

He kept sitting there, finishing his drink, and then checking his social media. Still nothing.

Yuuri was upset. Why wouldn’t he be? If Victor were in his shoes, he’d be upset as well. In fact, he’d be _extremely_ furious.

“Excuse me?” a voice said beside him. A barista was looking at Victor with sympathy on her face.

“We’re actually about to close, so unfortunately you have to leave.”

“Oh…okay. Sorry about that.”

“No worries! If it makes you feel any better, the guy who was sitting here before got stood up too.”

“What?” Victor asked, feeling his heartbeat speed up. The barista must have sensed his sudden attention, judging from the confused expression on her face.

“Yeah, there was a guy who left just before you came in. He kept checking his phone and looking around, and then he left with this sad expression on his face. Looks like he got stood up,” she said, shaking her head. “Poor guy.”

“What did he look like?” Victor asked, trying not to let the desperation seep into his voice.

“Uh, he had glasses I think? And he was Asian, wore a blue jacket. He’s kinda cute actually, now that I think about it,” she described, giggling to herself. Could it be…?

“So he wears glasses, huh?” Victor mumbles to himself. He’d been so curious about what Yuuri looked like all these months. Of course, Yuuri could have four arms and horns and Victor would still like him, but he couldn’t help but wonder what someone who could compose such beautiful music would look like.

He thanked the barista, who looked surprised at the sentiment, then headed back to his hotel. He checked his phone, still seeing no messages. Against his better judgement, he sent a few more messages, apologizing over and over again.

Hopefully Yuuri would understand.

* * *

 

The next morning, Yuuri woke up to six unread emails, all from Victor.

He slept off the humiliation and embarrassment from last night so he was feeling better, but he was still upset with Victor.

Upset with Victor Nikiforov. Yuuri never would have thought that would be possible, and yet here he was.

He opened and read over each message.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Yuuri I’m so sorry!! I got sidetracked by a couple of fans and then I got lost, and I was so busy trying to find the café that I forgot to check my email T.T where are you now?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_I’m at the café! I know I’m super late but pls forgive me ;_;_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_My sense of direction gets really bad when I’m panicking so I got super lost, please don’t be mad at me :’(_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_I’m sorry for not telling you on email, I was so focused on finding the café that I forgot, I know I’m a forgetful airhead pls Yuuri :(_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_I know you’re mad at me and I’m mad at myself too, but we can still meet tomorrow right? After the free skate? Are you going to be at the banquet?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Please, say something Yuuri, I’m really sorry._

Reading over the messages, Yuuri felt a pang of guilt for ignoring them last night. It’s clear Victor felt terrible about accidentally standing Yuuri up.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Sorry, I fell asleep as soon as I got back to the hotel lol_

Yuuri sent the message, knowing it was a lame excuse. Almost immediately, he got a response.

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_YUURI <3 <3 !!!!!!!!!! And it’s totally fine, it was pretty late anyways!!!!!!! I’m so sorry about last night, please forgive me ;__;_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Hmmmmmm idk, I was pretty upset last night :( I’m still kinda mad rn tbh_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Nooooooooooooooooooo Yuuri I’m so sorry :(:(:(:( Can I make it up to you somehow????_

Yuuri thought for a while. Smiling, he typed a reply.

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Can you get me tickets to the rest of the Grand Prix events?_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Consider it done._

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Thank you_ (─‿‿─)♡

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_You’re welcome ^^ so am I forgiven now???_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_…..sure :3_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_< 3 <3 <3 <3 will you be at the banquet tonight? We can meet then!!!!_

**_Yuuri Katsuki <y_katsuki@gmail.com>_ **

_Yeah, I’ll be at the banquet ^^ see you then! You don’t wanna be late for your free skate lol :P I’ll be watching!!!!!!_

**_Victor Nikiforov <vnikiforov@gmail.com>_ **

_Can’t wait!!!!!!!!!_

* * *

 

Victor watched the TV screens around him, displaying the skaters who were skating before him. Since he’s placed first so far, he’ll be going last for the free skate.

He leaned forward and grabbed his toes, stretching his hamstrings. It felt like a huge stone was lifted from his chest when Yuuri emailed him back. Of course, he won’t know for sure if he was fully forgiven, but at least Yuuri didn’t seem as upset anymore.

When it was almost time for his free skate, Victor made his way to the rink. He already felt his heart pounding in his chest, itching to feel the ice scraping beneath his blades, the cold air caressing his face. He wanted to show the world this program that he created together with Yuuri, this program that he poured so much love into.

He only hoped that his feelings would come across in his skating.

As Christophe made his way off the ice, they exchanged a quick “Good luck!” before Victor stepped onto the ice, the crowd cheering loudly as he made a few loops around the rink. Like yesterday, he wondered where Yuuri was sitting, if he was watching.

Victor’s costume for the free program was a pink and purple princely outfit, which reflected how his feels sometimes. Being a living legend felt like royalty, and being royalty can be isolating and lonely.

He skated his way to the centre of the rink and took his starting position. When the first notes rang out, he looked up and raised his arm, before bringing it down and wrapping it around himself in an embrace. After so many hours of practice, the moves were burned into his mind and body, each jump, each spin was almost reflexive.

And with each movement, he poured as much emotion as he could into it. The feeling of loneliness, of isolation, of longing, of love. All those feelings from the past year, overflowing from his heart into his performance. The music roared around him, the trumpets and strings reaching fortissimo, the intensity of the drums matching that of his heartbeat. It wrapped around him in a warm embrace; he could almost reach out and dance with the music, an invisible partner in his performance.

Was Yuuri watching? And did he understand the feelings coming through Victor’s skating?

Before he knew it, the skate was coming to a close, and he ended the routine with a combination spin. Crossing his arms at his chest, Victor looked up to the blinding lights of the stadium, breathing heavily.   

The crowd was deafening as he made his way to the kiss and cry, where he and Yakov awaited the scores. Once they came in, the cheering only grew louder.

Victor had won Skate America with a _very_ high score. In fact, his free skate score was so high, it broke his personal best and world record.

His chest swelled with pride and joy, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Victor was used to winning, but he hadn’t felt this exhilarated by a victory for a very long time.

It wasn’t _just_ his own victory. It was also Yuuri’s as well.

As the medal ceremony drew to a close and he started preparing for the exhibition skate, the only thing on Victor’s mind was the banquet, where he would finally meet Yuuri.

Part of him had been aching for this moment to come. Another part of him dreaded it.

What did Yuuri think of Victor’s performance? Did his feelings come through? Did Yuuri understand? And if he did, what was his response?

Those thoughts were still hanging over Victor’s head as he entered the banquet hall.

* * *

 

Victor’s free skate was the most phenomenal performance Yuuri had ever seen in his life.

Before, Victor’s skates were full of confidence, each turn and jump exudes his status as the living legend of figure skating. But in this performance, there was a different emotion in his movements.

It was a raw, heavy emotion that Yuuri couldn’t describe in words, but it felt so vivid, he could almost touch it. And the music that Victor used, that Yuuri composed, only added to that emotion, amplifying it until it encompassed the entire stadium. He wasn’t sure what emotion it was, but it somehow felt oddly intimate, like Victor was skating this routine _specifically_ for someone.

For a fleeting moment, Yuuri thought Victor was skating this for him, but he quickly brushed it off. Surely there must be someone more special in Victor’s life to dedicate his free program to.

At the end of the routine, Yuuri had stood up and started clapping and cheering like there was no tomorrow, because he was so proud of Victor, so proud of _himself_ , for such an amazing performance. His joy only grew when he saw the results, and it was mirrored on Victor’s face in the way he broke into a huge smile, which Yuuri noticed looked like a heart.

After the medal ceremony and exhibition skate, it was time for the banquet. Although the banquet was usually for skaters only, Victor managed to convince the organizers to allow Yuuri to come. Being a living legend does have its perks.

Yuuri found Phichit near the drinks table, taking pictures and videos on his phone. His face broke into a huge grin once he noticed Yuuri and they exchanged a hug.

“Congrats on fourth place Phichit! I loved your free skate,” Yuuri said as he took a glass of champagne. He decides to limit himself to two drinks, not wanting to drink too much alcohol, since he knew he’d go off the rails and start doing things he’ll regret in the morning.

And the last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself in front of Victor.

“Thanks Yuuri! I was hoping to get on the podium, but I can’t believe Michele beat me to it!” Phichit pouted as he took more photos. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he looked up, waving to someone in the distance.

Yuuri followed his line of sight and looked straight into a pair of wide, blue eyes.

Victor was standing across the room, standing near his coach and a few other people, and he was looking at Yuuri with a strange expression on his face.

“I need to go,” Yuuri said, shoving his drink at Phichit and bolting out the door.

“Hey Yuuri, that’s the wrong way!” he heard from behind him as he speedwalked down the hallways, away from the banquet hall.

He didn’t know what came over him, but having Victor look at him like that was enough to send him into panic. What did that expression mean? Wide eyes, mouth slightly open, and -Yuuri probably imagined this- a slight blush on his face. He needed to calm down, to collect himself, before he could step inside the banquet hall again.

By some stroke of luck, he passed by a room with a grand piano in it. It had large windows, the moonlight filtering in, casting the room in a bluish-white glow. Tentatively, he walked in and sat down, brushing his hand over the ivory keys.

Playing piano always calmed his nerves. With that thought in mind, he began to play.

* * *

 

Victor had caught a glimpse of Yuuri before he practically ran out the door.

Why did he run? Was he still upset with Victor? With these thoughts in mind, he walked through the hallways, looking for the composer.

He had spotted Phichit waving at him from across the room, and beside him was a man with glasses and the softest brown eyes Victor had ever seen in his life. He didn’t get a good look at his face, since he left quickly, but Victor should be able to recognize him once he finds him.

As he turned around a corner, he heard the faint sound of a piano playing.

Listening closer, he realized it was his [free program](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_K4sj1QIG4).

His heart thundering in his chest, he followed the stream of music until it led him to a dimly lit room at the end of the hallway.

Cautiously, he entered the room, staying as quiet as possible.

The black piano was illuminated by the moonlight entering through the windows, giving the room an otherworldly atmosphere. The music coming from it was beautiful, as expected, but in a different way. Victor’s free program was a plea for help, a cry into the emptiness, a longing for a connection.

But the same piece, played on the piano, conveyed a different feeling.

Instead, it was peaceful, like someone had answered the call for loneliness. They finally had a connection, finally found someone so precious to them, they didn’t want to let go.

Looking behind the piano, Victor felt his breathing stop.

The man had black hair that looked soft to the touch, blue-rimmed glasses, and a serene expression on his face. His eyes were downcast, his long lashes casting shadows onto his cheekbones. He had an angular face, yet at the same time, it was soft. Combined with the moonlight that illuminated his features, he looked ethereal, almost glowing.

His fingers moved expertly across the piano keys, the movements so graceful it seemed the notes were pouring out of his body. Yuuri was the personification of his music: soft and gentle, yet also strong and determined, full of deep emotions and achingly beautiful.

Yuuri was the most gorgeous person Victor ever laid his eyes on.

He finished playing the piece and looked up at Victor with those brown eyes of his, which reflected the dim moonlight, revealing flecks of gold within his irises. His eyes widened at the sight of Victor, and that was when he realized he probably intruded on something private.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to, um, intrude…”

“It’s…fine. You weren’t intruding on anything,” Yuuri said quietly. His voice was delicate and tender, a pleasant song that Victor could listen to forever.

“Oh, haha, that’s good,” Victor said lamely, rubbing the back of his neck. He had a whole speech planned out before, going over all the things he wanted to say to Yuuri, but now that he was standing in front of Yuuri, his mind went blank.

“Um…your free skate was really good today,” Yuuri started. Victor immediately perked up.

“Were you watching?” Victor asked excitedly.

“Of course I was! I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Yuuri replied with a smile. Victor noted how his eyes narrowed and his cheeks puffed up when he smiled, and adorable expression that had Victor’s heart doing flips in his chest. He also felt his heart swell with joy at Yuuri’s statement.

“That’s good to hear, I was hoping you’d be watching!” Victor said, laughing. “What did you think of it?”

Yuuri’s eyes immediately lit up at the question and he started to enthusiastically describe the performance.

“Oh, it was perfect! Your jumps were all clean, and your spins all had amazing position, and your step sequences were just so _powerful_ and emotive, there was so much _emotion_ in that skating and you also did four quads! Four quads! That’s amazing! And your costume was so beautiful and – oh, I’m rambling, sorry,” Yuuri apologized, blushing a deep shade of red. There was something endearing about the way his cheeks flushed, the red travelling all the way to his ears.

“No need to apologize! I’m just so glad you liked it, I was hoping you would.”

“You’re glad I liked it?” Yuuri asked. Victor realized he said, and felt his face heat up.

“Uh, yeah…I guess you can say I was sort of skating it…for you?” Victor said awkwardly, adjusting his tie. It sounded a lot better in his head.

Yuuri just looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face, his brown eyes full of emotion.

“I guess you can consider it a thank you? For all that you’ve done. Your music really helped me through a tough time in my life, and working with you all this past year has been one of the greatest joys in my life. And you also composed this beautiful piece for me, which I cannot thank you enough for. So, I’m really glad you liked my performance, Yuuri,” Victor explained, the feeling of saying the other man’s name sent a thrill through him. He didn’t outright state his feelings towards Yuuri, he wasn’t ready for that, but he hoped he conveyed a fraction of how he felt at least.

Yuuri stayed silent, staring at Victor. He wished he knew what Yuuri was thinking about right now, because he couldn’t read his emotions on his face. But there was a deeper feeling hidden in his caramel eyes, something that lit a fire in Victor’s chest.

“Thank you so much for that, Victor” Yuuri said, his voice heavy with affection, and he smiled so widely, he revealed his pearly white teeth. The way he said Victor’s name made almost made him melt into a puddle right there. Victor felt the warmth in his chest grow, and he knew he would do anything for Yuuri.

“You’re welcome,” Victor replied, letting the full force of his feelings settle into those two words.

* * *

“So…should we be getting back to the banquet?” Yuuri asked, breaking the electric atmosphere.

“Oh right, we should,” Victor said. They both walked through the hallways in silence, Yuuri occasionally stealing glances over at the other man.

Part of him couldn’t believe that he was walking beside _the_ Victor Nikiforov, who he had watched for so many years behind a screen. His silver hair almost glowed in the moonlight, which illuminated his high cheekbones and long, silver lashes. And his eyes…wow. Yuuri didn’t think a shade of blue could be so vivid.

Moreover, Victor had dedicated his free program to _him_. Of all the people in this world, it was Yuuri. Every time he thought about the fact, Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, his heart bursting with happiness.

“You were playing the free program on the piano, right?” Victor suddenly asked, pulling Yuuri out of his thoughts.

“Uh, sort of.”

“Sort of?” Victor asked, curiously.

“Well…I guess I got bored one day…and I was sort of playing around with the melody, and I realized the song would also work really well as a duet.”

“A duet?”

“Yeah. It has a totally different feeling of course, and I was thinking it’d just be a duet between a piano and a violin, with a soprano and tenor as the voices. It’s just a thought though, it doesn’t really mean much,” Yuuri laughed softly. He had composed it in his free time, taking out some verses and changing the overall tone of the music. It was meant as a resolution to the original version, where two people who were lonely finally found each other, and never wanted to let go. Yuuri knew it was completely self-indulgent, but he just _had_ to compose it. He had dreamt of this happening to him, of finding someone who doesn’t want to let go of him as much as he doesn’t want to let go of them.

Of course, there was a specific person in mind for Yuuri, and before he had thought it was a lost cause. But now…

“I’d actually love to hear that,” Victor said gently.

“You would?” Yuuri asked, surprised. Victor nodded, a serious expression on his face, his eyes burning with an intensity that Yuuri couldn’t describe.

“Well, I guess…if I have time to record it, I could send it to you?”

“Yes, I’d love that!” Victor exclaimed, and Yuuri felt his heart soar.

“That’s good to hear,” he commented as they reached the banquet hall. “I bet you could also skate to it.”

“Hmm, but I only do men’s singles. I’ve never really been one to do pairs skating. I guess I’ve never found a partner I worked well with,” Victor remarked, tapping his bottom lip with his index finger. “Actually, that’s a lie. I do know someone I could work well with.”

“Really?” Yuuri asked. “You could pair-skate the duet with them!”

“That’s where it’s a bit complicated. To my knowledge, I don’t think they can skate.”

“Oh.”

“But…I hope they know how to dance,” Victor said, and slowly extended his hand towards Yuuri.

He realized what Victor was saying, and a smile creeped across his face. His chest felt like it was about to combust, his heart swelling with emotion.

They both weren’t sure how the other felt about them. Weren’t sure if their feelings were reciprocated. But as Yuuri took Victor’s hand, and they headed towards the dance floor, they felt it was the start of something new.

A new song, written by the two of them together. A perfect harmony.

**Author's Note:**

> hello friends, this is a one-shot that was supposed to be short but somehow it spiralled out of control and turned into this :) I wrote most of this in the wee hours of the night, so please forgive me if there are any spelling/grammar errors. the formatting is weird, but I'll fix it eventually :P my creative writing skills are also pretty rusty, i haven't written this much since i was in high school a few years ago ;_; thanks for reading and i really hoped y'all liked it :)  
> edit: somehow in my sleep-deprived mind skate America turned into the GPF, fixed it so Victor won skate America, not the grand prix lol  
> also fixed phichit's name's spelling (somehow I went through the entire fic not noticing I misspelled "chulanont")  
> edit #2: fixed the formatting and some other errors  
> edit #3: added a link to a piano cover of the "stay close to me" duet that I found on youtube (her covers are very good!!!!!)  
> tumblr: [domokunrainbowkinz](http://domokunrainbowkinz.tumblr.com/)


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